Course info

One of the most important tasks of social science research is to understand how the social context in which an individual is embedded influences their life chances, beliefs and actions. Multilevel models have been developed to aid researchers in understanding the role of context in our everyday lives from schools, to firms, to countries. This course describes the multilevel perspective as it pertains to the types of research carried out in the social sciences. This includes some of the types of data that can be conceptualized within a multilevel framework, key terminology and some basic principles underlying the analyses of multilevel data. It offers practical experience with real world examplesand the practice of estimating linear multi-level models with Stata software. The course is realized as both lectures and as guided Stata lab sessions over a period of 4 weeks and aims to familiarize studentswithEuropean Social Survey (ESS) material. Students will also be encouraged to think of research problems that they wish to explore. The course assumes some familiarity with regression analysis but this will be revisited in the first lecture.

The course is intended for students of Advanced Sociology and Postgraduate Students.

The course is also open to all postgraduate students of the Doctoral Program in Sociology and Behavioral Sciences.